Differential construction for bed springs



Sept. 22, 1964 G. F. STEVENS DIFFERENTIAL- CONSTRUCTION FOR BED SPRINGS2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 11, 1963 INVENTOR. Ggorzes F. STEVENS Sept.22, 1964 G. F. STEVENS DIFFERENTIAL CONSTRUCTION FDR BED SPRINGS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 11, 1963 INVENTOR. GEORGE F. STEVENS Fig. 3.

United States Patent Ice l 56pm,

3,149,350 DIFFERENTIAL CONSTRUCTION FOR BED SPRINGS George F. Stevens,201 N. 28th St., Elwood, Ind. Filed Feb. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 257,570 2Claims. (Cl. 5-260) This invention relates generally to bed springconstruction and in particular to a bed spring unit or assembly,suitable for use in, for example, inner spring mattresses which arecharacterized by a difference in resiliency characteristics on one faceas compared to the opposite face of the spring assembly.

As is well known, there is, among bed or mattress purchasers, a Widerange of preference as to resiliency characteristics, that is, thehardness or softness of the mattress or bed spring construction. Certainsacroiliac disorders are often aggravated by bed spring constructionwhich is overly soft; people not bothered by such disorders often prefera relatively soft spring construction. A condition indicating arelatively hard mattress or spring construction often is temporary and asoft characteristic might be preferable subsequent to termination of thecondition. Aside from instances where spring characteristics aredetermined by therapeutic considerations, since individual preferencesvary widely, manufacturing and stocking problems can be alleviated by aspring construction which is relatively soft on one face and relativelyfirm or hard on the opposite face thereby permitting the user to choosethe desired resiliency characteristic by placing one or the other faceof the spring construction up.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a bed springor inner spring construction having a differing resiliencycharacteristic at one face as compared to that at its opposite face.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bed spring orinner spring construction utilizing a series of conventional coilsprings joined at one face by helical or spiral members, to provide arelatively soft resiliency characteristic, and with the springs joinedat their opposite face, both at the margins of the assembly andtransversely thereacross, by relatively rigid members to provide arelatively hard resiliency characteristic.

These and other objects will become apparent as the description proceedswith reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, top plan view of a spring assembly embodyingthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, bottom plan view of the assembly shown in FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the portion of the assembly shown in FIGS. 1and 2.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a spring unit or assemblyembodying the present invention. The portion shown is fragmentary but itwill be understood that the complete structure merely duplicates thespring arrangement shown and that for a bed spring or inner springarrangement the complete unit would have a generally rectangularconfiguration with one major face as illustrated in FIG. 1 and theopposite face as shown 111 FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1 it will be evident that the unit includes a series ofadjacent, axially parallel coil springs, the springs at the margin ofthe assembly being identified at and the springs inward of the margin ofthe unit being identitied at 10a. The assembly further includes marginalmembers 11 having a helical or spiral configuration and extending alongthe outer margins of the unit at one end of the coil springs. Thehelical marginal members 11 are joined to the springs 10 at the marginsof the unit by threading the helical members through the adjacentportion, identified at 10b, of the initial coil of each of the springs10 at the margins of the assembly. While the construction of FIG. 1shows the marginal members as helical, where desired the marginalmembers might be relatively rigid wires or rods such as indicated at 14in FIG. 2.

Transverse helical members 13 are also provided and these extend acrossthe unit and are joined to the initial coil of the springs byencircling, or being threaded through, the adjacent portions of theinitial coils of the springs 10 and 100. Because of the relatively weakresistance of the helical members 11 and 13 to stresses appliedtransverse to their axes, the face of the unit defined by the helicalmembers and the initial spring coils will have a relatively softresiliency characteristic.

Referring now primarily to FIG. 2 the opposite face of the unit will bedescribed in detail. This face of the unit is defined by rigid, marginalmembers 14 which may be formed of relatively heavy gauge wire or rodjoined in sections or integrally formed. The marginal members 14 extendaround the outer margin of the unit and suitable means are provided forjoining the members 14 to the adjacent portion 16 of the final coil 10dof each of the springs 10. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the means justreferred to may take the form of short coils of wire 18 which encirclemutually the rigid members 14 and the coil spring portions 16.

Relatively rigid transverse members 19 are also provided and theseextend across the unit and are joined by any suitable means to the finalcoils 10d of the springs 10 and 1011. As shown in FIG. 2 the means forjoining the rigid, transverse members 19 to the spring coils is formedby coiling the transverse members about the adjacent final coils of thesprings but it will be understood that the members 19 might be uncoiledand instead joined to the spring coils by means of separate, loop shapedclips. The face of the unit defined by the rigid members 14 and 19 andthe final spring coils 10d, because of the appreciable resistance of therigid members to transverse stresses, has a relatively stilf or hardresiliency characteristic.

The structure described, embodying the present invention, thus providesa bed spring or inner spring unit or assembly which can be selectivelyutilized, depending on which face of the unit is uppermost, to offereither relatively soft or relatively stifi resiliency characteristics.The differential resiliency characteristic between the two faces of theunit also permits differences and variations in tufting of one face ofthe unit as compared to the opposite face. While the structure has beendescribed as embodied in a bed spring unit, it will be understood thatit might also be embodied in similar cushion type articles and might beembodied in articles having an exterior configuration other thanrectangular.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail inthe drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modificationsmay readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and withinthe broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appendedclaims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A reversible spring unit for beds or the like comprising a series ofadjacent, axially parallel coil springs, marginal members extendingalong the outer margins of the unit at one end of the coil springs, saidmarginal members being joined to the initial coil of each of the springsat the margins of the unit, transverse helical members extending acrosssaid unit and joined to the initial coil of said springs, marginalmembers extending along the outer margins of the unit at the other endof the coil springs, means for joining said last mentioned marginalmembers to the adjacent portion of the final coil of each of the springsat the margins of the unit, relatively rigid transverse membersextending across said unit and joined to the final coils of saidsprings, whereby the face of said unit defined by said helical membersand said initial spring coils has a softer resiliency characteristicthan the face of said unit defined by said rigid members and said finalspring coils.

2. A reversible spring unit for beds or the like comprising a series ofadjacent, axially parallel coil springs, marginal members extendingalong the outer margins of the unit at one end of the coil springs, saidmarginal members being joined to the springs at the margins of the unitby encircling the adjacent portion of the initial coil of each of thesprings at the margins of the unit,

transverse helical members extending across said unit and joined to theinitial coil of said springs by encircling adjacent portions of saidinitial coils of the springs, marginal members extending along the outermargins of the unit at the other end of the coil springs, means forjoining said last mentioned marginal members to the adjacent portion ofthe final coil of each of the springs at the margins of the unit,relatively rigid transverse members extending across said unit andjoined to the final coils of said springs, whereby the face of said unitdefined by said helical members and said initial spring coils has asofter resiliency characteristic than the face of said unit defined bysaid rigid members and said final spring coils.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS384,925 Myers June 19, 1888 2,214,135 Hickman Sept. 10, 1940 3,004,266Blecker Oct. 17, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 485,342 Great Britain May 18, 1938

1. A REVERSIBLE SPRING UNIT FOR BEDS OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A SERIES OFADJACENT, AXIALLY PARALLEL COIL SPRINGS, MARGINAL MEMBERS EXTENDINGALONG THE OUTER MARGINS OF THE UNIT AT ONE END OF THE COIL SPRINGS, SAIDMARGINAL MEMBERS BEING JOINED TO THE INITIAL COIL OF EACH OF THE SPRINGSAT THE MARGINS OF THE UNIT, TRANSVERSE HELICAL MEMBERS EXTENDING ACROSSSAID UNIT AND JOINED TO THE INITIAL COIL OF SAID SPRINGS, MARGINALMEMBERS EXTENDING ALONG THE OUTER MARGINS OF THE UNIT AT THE OTHER ENDOF THE COIL SPRINGS, MEANS FOR JOINING SAID LAST MENTIONED MARGINALMEMBERS TO THE ADJACENT PORTION OF THE FINAL COIL OF EACH OF THE SPRINGSAT THE MARGINS OF THE UNIT, RELATIVELY RIGID TRANSVERSE MEMBERSEXTENDING ACROSS SAID UNIT AND JOINED TO THE FINAL COILS OF SAIDSPRINGS, WHEREBY THE FACE OF SAID UNIT DEFINED BY SAID HELICAL MEMBERSAND SAID INITIAL SPRING COILS HAS A SOFTER RESILIENCY CHARACTERISTICTHAN THE FACE OF SAID UNIT DEFINED BY SAID RIGID MEMBERS AND SAID FINALSPRING COILS.